Different devices for servicing a process plant are known in the state of the art. For example the company Endress+Hauser proffers the so called FieldXpert—a handheld device which can be used to receive process information and the like.
When servicing a process plant and the equipment of the plant, which consists of field devices such as measurement devices, valves, gateways etc. information can be retrieved from the field devices by way of such a hand-held device. That is when service-personnel is in the vicinity of one or more field devices a wireless connection between the handheld and the field device can be established in order to exchange or receive data via a wireless interface of the field device and the handheld. This connection can, however, be established through a gateway or via an additional hardware interface.
Process control or data exchange in general can take place e.g. via a wired link between the field device. it is also known to use wireless communication which is set up between the field devices in order to allow data exchange. Wireless industrial networks such as WirelessHART, ISA-100 or ZigBee are well known in the state of the art.
However in larger process plants a multitude of wireless networks is present. Hence there are different wireless industrial networks available in one and the same place on the site of a process plant.
Hence it is a problem of the present invention to provide—especially to the service personnel—an easy and convenient way to retrieve engineering, process, operation or maintenance relevant data.